Cotton-planter



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. & Y. M. BLEDSOE.

COTTON PLANTER.

Patented Sept. 8, 1891.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. P. St Y. M. BLEDSOE.

COTTON PLANTER.

No. 459,230. Patented Sept. 8,1891.

nus ranks mv, Manama, msumu'mu o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM P. BLEDSOE AND YANCY M. BLEDSOE, OF CARLOCK, TENNESSEE.

COTTON-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,230, dated September 8, 1891.

Application filed January 6, 1891. Serial No. 376,835. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM P. BLEDsoE and YANOY M. BLEDSOE, both residents of Carlock, in the county of McMinn and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Cotton-Planters; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in cotton-planters.

The object of the invention is to provide a cotton-planter which shall possess superior advantages with respect to simplicity and economy in construction and efiiciency in operation.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a cotton-planter constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View; Fig. d, a rear end view.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral l designates the beam, and 2 the handles. Between the lower ends of the handles and supported by the beam is the fertilizer-box 3, having an opening 4: in the bottom thereof, which communicates with the delivery-spout 5, secured to the under side of the beam.

Upon the under side of the fertilizer-box is a slide 6, the rear end of which is connected with a lever 7, pivoted to said box, and passing through a slot 8 is a gage-plate 9. This lever is provided with a handle 10, and a spring-catch 11, pivoted to the upper part thereof. By actuating this lever the slide 6 may be made to more or less cover the opening 4, thereby regulating the amount of fertilizer distributed, the gage-plate 0 indicating the position of the slide with respect to the discharge-opening. V

Passing across the fertilizer-box a short dis tance above the bottom is a transverse shaft 12, having two radial arms 13 depending toward the bottom of said box. This shaft is provided with a crank-arm 11, connected by means of a rod 15, with a short crank 16 on the end of one of the seed-cylinder journals,

so that as the seed-cylinder revolves the shaft 12 is given an oscillating motion,causing the arms 13 to alternately pass back and forth over the discharge-opening in the fertilizerbox, and thus prevent clogging of the same.

Pivotally secured to the beam 1 are two rearwardly-projecting arms 17, connected together near their forward ends by means of a crossbar 18. Located between these arms is the seed-cylinder 19, provided with journals 20, which have their hearings in said arms. Centrally in the periphery of this cylinder and in line with the fertilizer-distributin g spout is a series of equidistant seedapertures 21, and upon the interior of the cylinder at each opening is provided an adjustable plate 22, by which the area of said openings can be varied according to the variety or character of the seed contained therein to be planted.

The numeral 23 designates the coverer which heaps the soil upon the seed, consisting of a metallic plate concaved on its lower edge and secured by means of arms 24: to a rock-bar 25, pivoted in the rear ends of the arms 17. This bar 25 at each end is provided with a crank 26, adapted to engage with the rear ends of levers 27, pivoted to the arms 17. Each of these levers is provided with an up wardly extending rod or bolt 28, passing through a lug 29, secured to arms 17, and is provided with a coiled spring 30, the lower end of which bears against said lug, while the upper end is confined by a nut 31, adjustable upon said rod or bolt, so as to regulate the go tension of the spring. By this construction the coverer will have a yielding bearing upon the soil and will readily clear any obstructions without injury, by reason of the coiled springs and pivoted levers with which the 5 cranks on the cross-bar carrying the coverer engage.

Depending from a cross-bar 32, connected to the upper ends of the handles 2, is a rod 33, having its lower end formed into a loop 31, which engages with the rock-bar 25 and limits the motion of the arms 17 on their pivot.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- In a cotton-planter, the combination, with the beam 1, the handles 2, the rearWardly-ex-' tending arms 17, pivoted to said beam, and the seed-cylinder 19, of the coverer 23, secured 5 to a rock-bar 25, pivoted in the ends of arms 17, the cranks 26 at each end of said bar, the levers 27, pivoted to said arms, having upwardly-extendingrodsorboltspassingthrough lugs 29 on the arms 17, the coiled springs 30,

1o encircling said bolts, the adjustable nuts 31, and the depending arm connected with a cross-bar 32 of the handles and having a loop 34; at its lower end embracing said rock-bar, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoingas 15 our own we have hereunto affixed our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM P. BLEDSOE. YANOY M. BLEDSOE. Witnesses:

JOSEPH W. PEoK, GEORGE W. OARsoN. 

